Call to Worship
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The Word became flesh
and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory.
O you earth, sing to the Lord!
O you nations, praise him with joy!

Unison Prayer
Hope, love, joy and peace spring eternal,
and are not tied to the calendar, but to the heart.
May we remember that Christ is always with us,
loving us and offering us grace. Amen.

Words of Assurance: John 1:5, NIV
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil;
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.

Opening Song: Melissa Helser, Phyllis Unkefer and Jonathan Helser, “O The Joy”

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:7-12, RSV
Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared;  and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Sunday Sermon: “The In-Between Time”

Today is the fourth day of Christmas. It is also the fourth day in a row that somebody’s true love has given them birds for Christmas, which has made them very sick of birds, so tomorrow they will apologize by giving five golden rings, then thirteen more birds, then other gifts.

I like to think of this time, and especially this Sunday, as the “in-between time.” It’s in-between Christmas Day and the New Year. The kids are off from school and many people are on vacation. The stores are trying hard to sell all of this year’s stuff before next year’s stuff comes out. We’re eating leftovers while watching old movies. Some people are wearing pajamas all day. And to emphasize this post-Christmas pause, this weekend we received half a foot of snow.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a good time to replenish our energy. It’s a time to rest and reflect, to take inventory, and hopefully to enjoy our presents. On Christmas, my family was opening presents so fast that we had to tell people to put their presents down so they could open another one. (“Bill, you can’t play with that right now, you have to open another present. Lincoln, close that book and open this! No, you can’t take a nap!”) But the day after Christmas was different: most of us didn’t have to cook, and we had time to savor. On Christmas, I ate as much as I could, because there was plenty on the table, but this weekend, partially because of the storm, I’ve been eating less and trying to make it last. Just like it doesn’t feel like winter until the last leaf falls, Christmas isn’t over as long as there’s one Christmas cookie left.

It’s only after Christmas, after all of the cooking and the cleaning and the wrapping and the opening, after all the driving and the entertaining, after all the traffic and the advertisements, when we get to slow down and ask, “What just happened?” The same thing is true of Joseph and Mary: after all the travel and the worry, after the search for a place to stay, after the water breaking and the delivery, after the angels and the shepherds and the wise men have gone home, finally it’s just Mary and Joseph and Jesus and a bunch of animals and a pile of gifts. And they’re probably thinking, “Well, this gold is very useful, but what are we going to do with all this myrrh?”

It’s only after all the excitement has died down, but before the couple has to flee to Egypt, that Mary “treasures up all these things and ponders them in her heart.” I love the expression “treasure up,” because on the surface it reminds me of grabbing all my presents and pulling them close to my chest, but it refers to invisible gifts: in Mary’s case, to the experiences she’s had, the miracles she’s seen, the promises she’s received. On the one hand, it’s been a really rough time. On the other, she’s been blessed.

The same may be true of us. On Christmas, we took what we thought would be a pleasant walk on the beach, where it was 21 degrees with 30 mph winds. My sister drove into my car, the dog jumped on my mom and knocked her off her feet, and grease spilled in the oven and filled the house with smoke. This is in addition to the normal chaos. But the food somehow came out great, we all got along, there was no traffic in either direction and I got a blender. So that’s a win.

This in-between time gives us the opportunity to enjoy our invisible presents as well as the physical ones: the time spent with loved ones, the memories we accumulate, the experiences we have. We might also reflect on what God has given us: the beauty of a snow-covered landscape, the apricity of the winter sun, the assurance that we are loved. In “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a loved one gives gifts for twelve consecutive days; we’ve likely opened all of ours at once, which gives us the opportunity to spend at least eleven days appreciating what we have that wasn’t purchased and that isn’t wrapped. Ironically, this means that the true depth of Christmas might not sink in until after the day has passed and the guests have left. In this in-between time, the Spirit might make a surprise appearance like a skittish cat that hides when extra people are in the house and only emerges when it is quiet again.

Kids know how to use this in-between time: they color, they read, they play with toys. They sled, they make snow angels, they have snowball fights. Removed from the pressures of homework and school, they feel like themselves again. Those who don’t have to work this week have the chance to extend this feeling for another seven days, to treasure up and to ponder; in the Good News version, to “remember and think deeply,” and yes, to play. We may even come to the same conclusion as Mary: even in all the tumult, through all the fears, we have been blessed. God has been with us from the start, and is with us today.

So even if we didn’t get 23 birds, 23 musicians, 19 dancers, 8 milkmaids and 5 golden rings for Christmas, we did get one baby, and in that baby’s life was hidden all of the secrets of the world, all of the treasures, all of the promises fulfilled, all of the joy and all of the love. God is with us – Immanuel. Come, let us adore him ~ Christ the Lord! Amen.

Closing Song: Matt Maher, “Glory (Let There Be Peace)”

Benediction
May the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds safe in the knowledge and love of God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.